Should Roquan Smith wear the green dot for Chicago Bears?

Roquan Smith has not been handed play-calling duties for the Chicago Bears. Is it time for him to take that step?

The Chicago Bears re-signing Danny Trevathan should be looked at as a positive for Roquan Smith. Smith missed training camp as a rookie and dealt with some personal issues as a second-year player. Year three will be crucial for the development of the former top-ten pick, so having a stable veteran who is a leader and who knows Smith well is a nice addition to the roster.

However, the biggest drawback to Trevathan comes from his health. Trevathan has missed time due to injures in three of his last four seasons.

One of the underrated aspects of Nick Kwiatkoski was that when Trevathan went down, the play-calling duties were passed from Trevathan to Kwiatkoski. In fact, when the Raiders signed Kwiatkoski they noted that his play-calling ability was underrated and that he would call plays for the Raiders in 2020.

This has helped Smith because he has been able to stay in the same role, and not worry about getting his team in line. He has just been able to run and chase.

However, considering Joel Iyiegbuniwe is next on the depth chart at linebacker, Roquan Smith would finally be calling plays if Trevathan were to be out of the lineup. This is a change in roles that Smith has not yet had to worry about. Arguably, it is because he has not mastered it yet.

The questions become, should the Bears give the duties to Smith to start the year and get it over with?

If Trevathan does get hurt, Smith would then be jumping in as the play-caller during the middle of the season, rather than the start. Trevathan has typically not had a season-ending injury, so the on-and-off for Smith and changing in roles through the year could be yet another hassle.

Smith could call plays next to Trevathan, which would help him progress as the year begins. Then, if Trevathan gets hurt, an experienced play-caller in Smith can be prepared to start next to Iggy. The roles would be consistent.

It is the third year for Smith, so he should be ready to take this step. He is also going to be just 23 years old next year, so there is room for him to mature and take on this greater responsibility.

Of course, on the other hand, the Bears know that Trevathan can call the plays and keep everyone in line. In a year where the Bears had camp, they could use that time to work Smith in as a play-caller next to Trevathan. An abbreviated offseason may force the Bears to stick with what has been.

Still, the torch is close to being passed. Smith is going to take over this defense eventually. Why not make the change now, and see how Smith can handle the bigger role?